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Boss Files with Poppy Harlow

Charity Water's Scott Harrison: From Nightclub Promoter to CEO

Boss Files with Poppy Harlow

CNN

Business, Entrepreneurship

4.6538 Ratings

🗓️ 21 January 2019

⏱️ 68 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Scott Harrison went from nightclub promoter to founder of charity: water. His mission? To bring clean water to millions of people around the world. He describes himself as a "prodigal son" who left his conservative Christian home to climb New York City's social scene and opens up about his epiphany to turn his life around. He explains the nonprofit's promise to allocate 100% of public donations directly to fund clean water projects and how a lack of access to clean water contributes to gender disparity in developing nations. Produced by Haley Draznin, CNN.To learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0

in this episode of Boss Files.

0:01.8

I thankfully had this moment at 28 years old where I came to my senses and said,

0:06.4

oh my gosh, I'm the worst person that I know.

0:08.3

And I started thinking about legacy.

0:09.9

If I continued down this path, A, there was a good chance I would die before 40.

0:14.3

I mean, if I had just partied like this, I may not make another 12 years.

0:18.6

And if I did continue, my tombstone might actually read, you know, here lies a club rat that got a million people wasted.

0:25.4

From nightclub promoter to CEO, Charity Water founder Scott Harrison.

0:30.6

He grew up a self-described prodigal son in a conservative Christian home and lived out the classic rebellion story, turning in his faith to

0:39.5

climb the New York City social ladder. Excessive drinking and drugs, model girlfriends, Rolex watches,

0:45.8

you name it. But an epiphany changed all of it. Vowing to turn his life 180 degrees, he packed his

0:53.0

bags and moved to Liberia. His mission became

0:56.5

Charity Water, a non-profit that has since brought clean water to nearly 10 million people

1:01.5

in four countries around the world. Regardless of whether you're a Republican or a Democrat or

1:06.3

independent or you're a Jew, a Christian, an atheist, a Muslim, a Mormon.

1:11.4

It doesn't matter what you might differ on religiously or politically.

1:17.5

People can come together and agree on clean water.

1:19.3

Of course.

1:19.7

Why he says his past does not define his future.

1:23.3

His goal?

1:24.2

To become the Nike or Apple of philanthropy.

1:27.6

Plus, how he has seen firsthand that access to clean water is a gender equality issue.

...

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